You are here: Home / Community Activities / Key DEI Events

Key DEI Events

 

This is a collection of what is deemed to be events having impacts on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  

 

See the Diversity Beam for notable DEI projects. 

 

Start Date Title Description Tags
May 08, 2024 12:00 PM Working Toward Equality for Minnesotans of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage The Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans is an executive branch, non-cabinet agency tasked with the responsibility of working for the implementation of economic, social, legal, and political equality of Asian Pacific Minnesotans. The council serves Minnesota’s Asian Pacific Islander communities through advocacy, engagement, and cultivating strong partnerships. ('DMC', 'Diversity', 'Housing', 'Asian', 'key', 'CMRC')
May 08, 2024 10:00 AM May 2024 Coalition for Rochester Area Housing Alliance (1st Generation Down Payment Assistance Program ) Presentation & Discussion: 1st Generation Down Payment Assistance Program ('RAF', 'housing', 'openbeam', 'key')
Apr 30, 2024 05:30 PM DMC: How Parking Explains the World Author Henry Grabar ignited a national discussion with his book Paved Paradise, a discussion that recently had him cited by the White House. ('DMC', 'transportation', 'transit', 'key', 'ISAIAH')
Apr 29, 2024 03:30 PM Study Session: Rapid Transit & West Transit Village/DMC Update Project Schedule, FTA Critical Path; City/Mayo Agreements; Communications Planning; DMC Updates (Business Development; Historic District) ('transit', 'transportation', 'key')
Apr 24, 2024 06:00 PM Skills for Disagreeing Better Convened by Braver Angels, MPR and UMR • More understanding of the values and concerns of people who differ from you politically • Better skills for listening in a way so that the other person feels heard • Better skills for sharing viewpoints in a way the other person might hear -- even if they disagree ('UMR', 'MPR', 'openbeam', 'key', 'civic engagement')
Apr 24, 2024 09:30 AM DMC 2024 Real Estate Developer and Investment Summit Welcome to the 2024 Real Estate Developer and Investment Summit presented by Destination Medical Center and ULI Minnesota! Join us on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at the Mayo Civic Center for an exciting day of networking and learning about the scale and scope of opportunities in Rochester, MN. At this event, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with real estate developers and investment professionals from around the region. Whether you’re an experienced investor or just starting out, this summit is designed to provide valuable insights and opportunities specific to the Rochester, MN market. ('EDA', 'community engagement', 'housing', 'key', 'real estate')
Apr 23, 2024 01:00 PM April 2024 Rochester Vision 2050 Community Engagement Our city has undertaken a broad array of initiatives to create a bright future for her citizens and constituencies. These should be guided by a clear, optimistic, aspirational vision. 2050: Far enough for limitless possibilities; close enough to begin today to serve Rochester’s next generation and beyond. Vision 2050 Steering Committee guides this initiative A large volunteer group will put “Vision in Action”, using co-design to engage the community to share ideas and priorities for Rochester’s future. ('co-design', 'governance', 'community', 'key', 'openbeam')
Apr 22, 2024 05:00 PM Community Townhall Uplifting Student Voices Convened by NAACP, Rochester, MN ('community health', 'diversity', 'community')
Apr 22, 2024 04:30 PM CMRC April 22, 2024 Meeting Topics: City of Rochester DEI Action Plan Updates ; CMRC Collaboration Status ('diversity', 'openbeam', 'key', 'Diversity', 'CMRC')
Apr 20, 2024 11:00 AM NAACP Not In Our Town We, the Rochester Branch of the NAACP, stand united in condemning the recent hateful incident involving the use of a racial slur against black and brown people in the immediate vicinity of Rochester Century High School. This reprehensible act not only undermines the values of our community but also sends a disturbing message to our youth who should feel safe and respected. ('Diversity', 'community')
Apr 17, 2024 07:00 PM Barbershop Talk: Racism in Rochester Moderators: Bud Whitehorn, Andre Crockett, Tawonda Burks; In response to the racial slur written in cups on a bridge crossing East Circle drive near Century High school this weekend, a group of our local community leaders are coming together to have a conversation about racism in Rochester at a Community Town Hall. This event will be Wednesday from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Century High School. ('diversity', 'community')
Apr 17, 2024 04:00 PM Community Involvement Session: Candidate Training Join United Way of Olmsted County and BIPOC community leaders for a training for individuals interested in running for office ('Education', 'Diversity')
Apr 16, 2024 05:00 PM Journie: Open Road Workshop The main objective is to enhance access to higher education opportunities for minorities and low-income families in Olmsted County. ('youth', 'Education', 'diversity', 'CMRC')
Apr 10, 2024 12:00 PM Empowering Women in the Workplace Heather will provide a brief overview of the significant legislative milestones enacted by the Minnesota Legislature since women's Suffrage. Additionally, she will delve into Minnesota-specific data concerning women, shedding light on pertinent details regarding recent legislation and its implications for women in the workforce. ('DMC', 'Diversity', 'CMRC', 'key')
Apr 10, 2024 10:00 AM April 10, 2024 Coalition for Rochester Area Housing Alliance: "Rural Trends 2024: Housing Supply and Demand" "Rural Trends 2024: Housing Supply and Demand" (Ben Winchester from the U of M Extension office) "Economic Vitality Funding Update" (Taryn Edens, City of Rochester) ('RAF', 'housing', 'openbeam', 'key')
Document Actions

Two types of event information being shared in the following:

1. A list of Beam aware upcoming community events of all types. 

2. A list of noteworthy past events that have one or more of the following contents: presentation slides, video recordings as well as takeaways. 

Upcoming Events
Oct 2026 RPS Family Engagement Oct 06, 2026 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM — Virtual
2026 Rochester General Election City Council and Mayor Candidate Forum Oct 06, 2026 06:30 PM - 09:00 PM — Christ United Methodist Church
AARP Election 2026 - What Voters Need to Know Oct 07, 2026 11:30 AM - 01:30 PM — Cascade Meadows Wetlands & Environmental Science Center, 2900 19th Street Northwest, Rochester, MN, 55901
Managing Difficult Conversations with Constituents - Rochester Oct 13, 2026 09:00 AM - 11:00 AM — Rochester Public Utilities 4000 East River Road Northeast, #2813
Congressional Debate Oct 13, 2026 06:00 PM - 07:30 PM — KAAL Digital Platforms
Finding Community in Our Differences - Rochester Oct 13, 2026 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM — RCTC Heintz Center, 1926 Collegeview Road East, Rochester, MN 55904
Cradle to Career 2026 Annual Education Summit Oct 20, 2026 08:00 AM - 04:30 PM — Mayo Civic Center
America: 250 and Beyond Oct 24, 2026 06:00 PM - 08:30 PM — Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake
NCRC - Faith & Community Expos Oct 29, 2026 02:00 PM - 06:00 PM — Rochester International Event Center
Upcoming events…
Community News

This panel displays the latest community news. For a standalone view please click this LINK.



Annual Action Plan - Community Development Block Grant Allocations

  • 2027 Annual Action Plan - Community Development Block Grant Allocations; Video Recording, Presentation 
  • 2026 Annual Action Plan - Community Development Block Grant Allocations; Video Recording, Presentation 

Last Updated September 20, 2026



Sherman Mixed Housing Mayo Civic Center Parking Lot

Sep 18, 2026: Ground Breaking

July 6, 2026: City Council Meeting - Extension of agreement

May 2026 DMCC Board Meeting: Status Update

June 3, 2024 City Council Meeting 

Council action is requested to continue development negotiations with Sherman Associates and conditionally approve development assistance of up to $13,000,000 in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) assistance and up to $3,000,000 in DMC General State Infrastructure Aid.  

Last Updated September 18, 2026



Momentum 30

Four pillars to drive Momentum 30

Case for Investment

Last Updated September 17, 2026



2027 Olmsted County Tax Levy

Sep 16, 2026 Press Release: Preliminary 2027 Olmsted County levy: $151,350,166, Preliminary 2027 Olmsted County billed levy: $149,769,949 (amount to be billed to taxpayers due to 2026 levy overpayment being applied to 2027).

Last Updated September 16, 2026



Braver Angels News

  • 2026 - Oct events: Sep 2026 Newsletter; Aug 2026 Newsletter, Mar 6 Volunteer Opportunities, Feb Citizens Commission on Immigration Outreach
  • 2025, 24 - Mar 2025 Newsletters: End birthright citizenship? Apr 2024 Braver Angels Newsletter: 2024 National Convention; National Debate: Should we be colorblind?

 

Last Updated September 16, 2026



RPS Family Engagement Opportunities

Sep 2026: Care Giver & Parent Empowerment (CAPE); Supporting Youth: Mental Health  

Apr 2026 Family Engagement Policy Meetings

Jan 2026 Announcements: Family Engagement, Caregiver and Parent Empowerment 

Last Updated September 11, 2026



Reimagining 6th Ave West - Project Update

Sep 9, 2026 City Council Update

Mar 2 2025 City Council: Memo, Video, Presentation

Sep 2025 Press Release: City of Rochester Launches “Reimagining Sixth Avenue W” to Reconnect Downtown Mobility Network

Last Updated September 10, 2026



CHATEAU THEATRE OPERATING ANALYSIS UPDATE

Sep 9, 2026 City Council Action Chateau Strategy

Aug 10, 2026 City Council Study Session  Council to review planning-level capital investment needs identified through both the City’s facility assessment and the Legends Global operating analysis.

Last Updated September 08, 2026



Director of Equity & Organizational Development Introduction

 Sep 2026: Introducing Crystal Fairchild, Director of Equity & Organizational Development

 

Last Updated September 06, 2026



6th Street Bridge RAISE grant

Aug 2026: Revised to "Up to $19.9 million from USDOT." 

Aug 2022: The City of Rochester has been awarded a $19.9 million dollar United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant.

Last Updated August 24, 2026



Rochester Public Transit

Aug 23, 2026 City Council Study Session: Transit Financial Sustainability - Rochester Public Transit (RPT) is currently operating under financial conditions that are not sustainable over the long term.

Last Updated August 24, 2026



Rochester, MN Supplemental Budget

2026 Aug 23 City Council Study Session, Apr 13 City Council Study Session on 2027 Supplemental Budget

2022-08-22 City Council Study Session on 2023 Supplemental Budget

Last Updated August 23, 2026



Economic Vibrancy & Growth Management

Aug 24, 2026 City Council Study Session: Economic Mobility Updates

Sep 2024 City Council Study Session: City teammates providing an update on this work, specifically regarding legacy public infrastructure projects, Unbound, infrastructure investments and regulatory milestones.  

Last Updated August 23, 2026



OpenBeam events log

Sep 2026: Metrics LINKS

Aug 2026: Tech related info

Aug 2026 Notable Beam Events Log: Topics Include: Q2 Real Estate Stats; Workforce Housing & Regional Workforce Trends; Building Trust in an Age of Skepticism; Land Use Revenue Analysis; Tax Increment Financial Studies

Last Updated August 21, 2026



Broadway 309-317 Appeal of Certificate for Appropriateness

Aug 17, 2026 City Council Meeting: In a 4-3 vote, the Rochester City Council overturned a decision by the Heritage Preservation Commission to reject a redevelopment proposal for five historic buildings on the 300 block of South Broadway Avenue.

Aug, 2026  PB reporting

Last Updated August 20, 2026



Transportation: ROCOG Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

2027-2030: Transportation Improvement Plan, Press Release

2024 - 2027 Transportation Plan 

2023 - 2026 Transportation Plan: The Rochester-Olmsted Council of Governments (ROCOG) has released a draft of the 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), for a 30-day public comment period. 

Last Updated August 18, 2026



National Community Survey

2026 City Survey: Open to residents responses

2024 and 2022 NCS Surveys: Presentation/Reports

2018 City Survey.: June 2018 Resident Survey Summary

Last Updated August 17, 2026



SBDC Rochester, Spring 2025

Sep 2026: Small Business Support Series

SBDC Apr 2025 Business Workshops...SBDC Day and workshop opportunities: "If you have an upcoming business event or celebration, please let us know! We would love to stop by for a RIBBON CUTIING for any of your business." milestones:

 

Last Updated August 14, 2026



Homelessness Dashboard, Street Medicine, The TABLE and Any Path Home Info

Aug 14, 2026:Homeless Info: Any Path Home Dashboard; Mayo Clinic Street Medicine

Mar 2026 Rochester Area Housing Alliance: Any Path Home and The TABLE

 

Last Updated August 14, 2026



Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Barriers Study

Aug 10, City Council Study Session: Equitable Economic Development

Apr 2025 City Council Study Session:  (1) DBE Study Session to City Council April 17, 2023 , (2) Memo to DMCC Board; 

Last Updated August 13, 2026